Which of the following is a specific application of RT-PCR in the pathology of solid tumors?
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Correct answer: Detecting micrometastases in lymph nodes via mRNA markers
RT-PCR can detect mRNA markers that are normally only expressed in the primary tumor site (e.g., cytokeratin mRNA in lymph nodes). Finding these transcripts in a lymph node suggests the presence of metastatic cells that might be missed by standard histology.
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More RT-PCR questions
- Which of these enzymes is 'thermostable' and used specifically in some one-step RT-PCR kits to allow higher RT temperatures?
- What is the primary function of the 'Reverse Transcriptase' enzyme in an RT-PCR reaction?
- In the context of RT-PCR, what is the specific purpose of using 'Oligo(dT)' primers during the reverse transcription step?
- Which of the following describes 'One-step' RT-PCR?
- What is the clinical significance of a 'One-step' RT-PCR assay in the detection of RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2?
- When performing RT-PCR, why is it often necessary to treat the RNA sample with DNase I prior to reverse transcription?